Electrical connectors of the plug and receptacle type are used in many applications for connecting multiple pairs of corresponding conductors. Such connectors are widely used in the aerospace field in complex electronic systems in which a single connector may interconnect many pairs of wires. In such systems, the connectors must be miniaturized to minimize the weight and size. The wires at the receptacle are connected to individual terminals and the wires at the plug are connected to corresponding terminals. Each of the terminals on one of the connector members is a socket contact and each of the terminals on the other member is a pin contact which is adapted to telescopically engage the corresponding socket contact when the plug and receptacle are in mated relationship. In order to miniaturize the connector, the pin and socket contacts need to be very small; for example, the socket contact may be less than one-tenth inch diameter and less than one-half inch long.
Connectors of the type described must be capable of quick and easy connection and disconnection without undue force. Yet each set of contacts must provide excellent electrical conductivity and be capable of repeated connection and disconnection without damage or significant deterioration. When miniature contacts were first introduced, they were manufactured by machining metal stock since that was the only feasible way to hold the tolerances required for mating contacts. However, machined contacts are relatively costly. In recent years such contacts have been made from sheet metal by forming and rolling to produce a "formed"contact.
Formed socket contacts have been developed which comprises an assembly of a contact sleeve or liner of spring metal having plural contact fingers at the mating end and a front hood or sleeve around the fingers providing a tapered entry for guiding a mating pin contact. The wire receiving end has a supporting sleeve thereon and is crimped into engagement with the wire. The contact fingers constitute cantilevers which are deflected in a radial direction by the insertion of the mating pin contact. Each of the contact fingers is supported only at its root in the contact sleeve. In order to insure a good electrical connection between the socket contact and the pin contact, it is necessary to have each finger exert an appropriate resisting force to radial deflection. Additionally, a mounting flange is provided in the midsection of the contact. A socket contact of this construction and method of making it are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,394 granted Feb. 7, 1978 to Waldron et al. and assigned to the same assignee as this application.
Although the prior art contacts, of the type discussed above are very satisfactory in design and performance, they are fabricated from several metal pieces and are relatively costly to manufacture.
A general object of this invention is to provide an improved electrical contact of the type described which overcomes certain problems of the prior art.